The global consumption of antibiotic substances poses an increasingly significant environmental problem. Due to their continuous introduction into the environment and their adverse effects on organisms, the removal of pharmaceutical micropollutants is crucial. Conventional wastewater treatment methods are incapable of removing pharmaceutical micropollutants, necessitating the development and implementation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).
Due to its strong persistence and low metabolic rate in human use, the antibiotic gentamicin sulfate (GS) was selected for thesis research. This master's thesis aimed to examine the biological and physicochemical treatment of the antibiotic gentamicin sulfate from model wastewater. The potential for biological treatment was assessed based on the biodegradability testing in a closed respirometer. The potential of physicochemical treatment was investigated by direct ozonation, ozonation with hydrogen peroxide, and ozonation combined with Fenton oxidation. AOPs’ removal efficiency was monitored by measuring total organic carbon (TOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Furthermore, we determined the pseudo-first-order kinetic degradation parameters and the mean oxidation state of carbon (MOC) in the solution.
Gentamicin sulfate degradation followed pseudo-first order kinetics, where the initial phase of oxidation occurred more rapidly. Increasing the ozone dose enhanced the efficiency of removal for each AOP. Ozonation combined with Fenton oxidation at a reagent weight ratio of O$_3$/Fe$^{2+}$/H$_2$O$_2$ = 4 : 1 : 2 showed to be the most effective, achieving 78% oxidation, 45% mineralization, and the MOC value of 2.04 at a final ozone dose of 50 mg$_{ozone}$ mg$_{GS}^{–1}$. We confirmed that untreated gentamicin sulfate was non-biodegradable and toxic to activated sludge. With the use of the most effective AOP the biodegradation level increased to 30%, partially degrading the antibiotic. Despite improved biodegradability, it was confirmed that pre-treatment did not render the antibiotic fully biodegradable and appropriate for biological treatment. In conclusion, AOPs represent a reliable solution for degradation of antibiotics and show a vast potential for the removal of antibiotics from model wastewater.
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